£4 million Needed To Complete Cutty Sark Restoration

ONE year on from the fire which ravaged the Cutty Sark its restorers are appealing for £3.72m to complete the job.

The ship, based in Greenwich, south-east London, was a quarter way through a £25m conservation project when the fire started on 21 May.It is now expected to cost £35m to restore, with £3.7m still needed, the group working on the ship said.

Richard Doughty, chief executive of the Cutty Sark Trust, said: "It's always a hand-to-mouth struggle and without that money it means that we'd have to cut further corners in what we do...
"We'll find a way if we don't raise all the money but it would be a blessing if someone came forward now and said 'I will plug this gap'."

The project team is now preparing for the construction of the ship's support structure, assisted by construction manager Heery. The project will see the Cutty Sark raised 2.7m and suspended over a visitor and exhibition space.

Work on the ship is expected to last until 2010.